Pecan Praline Pumpkin Pie

Volunteering to bring dessert to a family gathering and completely forgetting until I was already in my pajamas at 11 PM on a Tuesday is exactly what led to this pecan praline pumpkin pie. The idea of doing something complicated felt genuinely offensive, though showing up empty-handed to face my mother-in-law stayed worse.

Smashing together two of the greatest desserts on earth, a classic thanksgiving pie recipe and a sticky pecan topping, hoped the sugar would distract everyone from my lack of planning. It worked. The crunchy topping completely hides any cracks in the filling, which is a massive win for those of us who tend to get distracted while things are in the oven. Here is exactly how I do it.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It hides mistakes. The praline layer literally covers up any cracks or ugly spots on your pumpkin filling.
• Make-ahead friendly. Nobody wants to be stress-baking a pumpkin pie with pecan topping while trying to mash potatoes.
• Texture contrast. This solves the age-old problem of pumpkin pie being just a little too mushy on its own.
• Crowd-pleasing. It stops the debate between the pecan pie lovers and the pumpkin pie loyalists by just giving them both.

Tools You’ll Need

Nothing fancy, I promise.

• 9-inch pie dish You need a standard one, not deep dish, or your filling-to-crust ratio gets weird.
• Pie weights. Or just grab a bag of dried beans from the back of your pantry that you bought in 2019 and will definitely never cook.
• Parchment paper. Crumpling it up into a ball first helps it fit into the crust without tearing it.

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 1 unbaked pie crust – Store-bought is fine, I will not judge you. If you make it from scratch, you are a better person than I am today.
• 1 large egg + 1 tbsp milk – For the egg wash. It makes the crust look like you know what you are doing.

For the Filling

• 15 oz can pumpkin puree – Make sure it is pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, unless you want a sugar overload.
• 2 large eggs – Room temperature if you remember, straight from the fridge if you are me.
• 1 cup brown sugar – Light or dark, whatever is currently a brick in your pantry that you need to chisel apart.
• 1 tbsp cornstarch – This helps it set so you don’t serve pumpkin soup.
• 1/2 tsp salt – To balance the sweetness.
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon – The backbone of any good fall baking.
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger – Adds a nice warm kick.
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg – Freshly grated if you are fancy, from the plastic jar if you are normal.
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves – A little goes a very long way.
• 1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper – I learned this trick from King Arthur Baking and it adds a background warmth that makes people ask for the recipe.
• 2/3 cup heavy cream – Do not use skim milk, we are making pie, not a diet shake.
• 1/3 cup whole milk – Gives it the right texture.

For the Praline Topping

• 1 cup finely chopped pecans – The star of this pumpkin pie with praline pecan crunch.
• 1/2 cup brown sugar – More sugar, because it is the holidays.
• 2 tbsp honey – This makes the topping sticky and crunchy instead of just dry nuts.
• Flaky sea salt – For sprinkling on top. It makes you look incredibly sophisticated.

How To Make Pecan Praline Pumpkin Pie

Do not let the multiple steps scare you; half of this is just waiting for things to cool down while you scroll on your phone.

1. Prep the crust: Roll out your pie dough and fit it into a 9-inch pie dish, crimping the edges. Do not obsess over making the edges perfect—rustic is just a fancy word for messy, and we are heavily leaning into rustic today.
2. Par-bake the crust: Line the crust with crumpled parchment paper, fill with pie weights, and bake at 375°F for 10 minutes. If you skip the weights, your crust will slide down the pan and look like a sad, deflated puddle.
3. Egg wash and vent: Remove the weights and paper, brush the edges with egg wash, poke the bottom with a fork, and bake for 7-8 more minutes. Poking holes prevents the bottom from puffing up into a giant pastry balloon.
4. Make the filling: Whisk the pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, black pepper, cream, and milk together until smooth. If a few lumps of brown sugar survive, consider them little caramel surprises for whoever gets that slice.
5. Bake the filling: Pour the filling into the warm crust and bake for 50-55 minutes until the center is no longer jiggly. If your crust edges are getting too dark, cover them with foil and pretend you meant for them to be that toasted.
6. Mix the topping: While the pie bakes, mix the chopped pecans, brown sugar, and honey in a bowl. It will be sticky and annoying to mix, which means you are doing it exactly right.
7. Add the topping: Remove the pie, gently spoon the pecan mixture over the top, and bake for 15 more minutes. Do not drop it from a height or it will sink into the filling and ruin the aesthetic of the best pumpkin praline pie for thanksgiving.
8. Cool completely: Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 3-4 hours before slicing. Cutting into a hot pumpkin pie is a guaranteed way to end up with a delicious, sloppy mess on your plate.

Make it yours

• Maple version. You swap honey for maple syrup in the topping for a different sweetness profile in this thanksgiving pie recipe.
• Bourbon version. You add a tablespoon of bourbon to the filling for a richer, adult twist on this best pumpkin praline pie for thanksgiving.

Perfect Pairings

These go perfectly with stretchy pants for the holiday dinner marathon.

• A massive dollop of barely sweetened whipped cream balances out the sugar rush.
• A very strong cup of black coffee on Thanksgiving morning satisfies the pie-for-breakfast life choice.

Pecan Praline Pumpkin Pie

This pecan praline pumpkin pie proves that a genuinely impressive holiday dessert can come together with nothing more than a store-bought crust, a mixing bowl, and a few pantry staples. This pumpkin pie with pecan topping relies on a par-baked crust and cornstarch-set filling to avoid the soggy bottom and cracked surface that ruins so many other pumpkin pie attempts. Whether served at Thanksgiving or sliced for a Tuesday night treat, this best pumpkin praline pie for thanksgiving earns a permanent spot in the regular rotation.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 50 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Total Time 7 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Servings: 9 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Crust

• 1 unbaked Buttery Flaky Pie Crust (what I used) or All Butter Pie Crust*
• egg wash for pie crust: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon milk or heavy cream

Filling

• one 15oz can (about 2 cups; 425g) pumpkin puree*
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon (8g) cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger*
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg*
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves*
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup (160ml) heavy cream*
• 1/3 cup (80ml) whole milk*

Praline Topping

• 1 cup (130g) finely chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons (43g) honey*
• for garnish: flaky sea salt and whipped cream

Equipment

• 9-inch pie dish
• Pie weights
• Parchment paper

Method

 

1. For best success, read the recipe in full before beginning.
2. I like to make sure my pie dough is prepared before I begin making pecan praline pumpkin pie. Make pie dough the night before because it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before rolling out and blind baking (next step).
3. On a floured work surface, roll out one of the disks of chilled dough (use the 2nd pie crust for another recipe!). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is completely smooth. To make a lovely thick edge, I do not trim excess dough around the edges.
4. Instead, fold the excess dough back over the edge and use your hands to mold the edge into a nice thick rim around the pie. Crimp the edges with a fork or use your fingers to flute the edges. You can see me do this in the video tutorial above or in my detailed how to crimp and flute pie crust tutorial.
5. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
6. Line the pie crust with parchment paper. Crunching up the parchment paper is helpful so that you can easily shape it into the crust. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. (Note that you will need at least 2 standard sets of pie weights to fit.) Make sure the weights/beans are evenly distributed around the pie dish. Par-bake the crust for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment paper/pie weights. Brush edges lightly with egg wash.
7. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork to create steam vents and return crust (without weights) to the oven for 7–8 more minutes or until the bottom is *just* starting to brown. (Review this how to par-bake pie crust page if you need extra help with this par-baking step.)
8. Whisk the pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, black pepper, cream, and milk together in a large bowl until completely combined and smooth. If desired, you can use an electric mixer for this step.
9. Pour filling into warm crust. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the center is no longer jiggly. It can still be a little sticky in the very center on top, just as long as it no longer jiggles when you lightly tap the pan. During bake time, if you find the edges of the pie crust are browning too quickly, apply a pie crust shield or a ring of aluminum foil to protect it.
10. Remove pie from the oven and add the topping. I like to make the topping as the pie bakes so I have it ready. Using a fork, mix the pecans and brown sugar together. Drizzle in the honey and mix until combined. Spoon on top of the pie, then *very* gently press it down with a spoon or fork so it sticks on the filling.
11. Return pie to the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Use a pie crust shield to protect the crust from over-browning, if needed.
12. Remove the pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely, at least 3-4 hours. If not serving right away, cover cooled pie and store at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
13. Serve room temperature or cold with a sprinkle of sea salt and whipped cream. I used Ateco 849 piping tip for the whipped cream, but you can just use a spoon to top each slice with a dollop.
14. Cover and store leftover pie in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Recipe Notes

Make Ahead & Freezing:
See the post above for detailed storage and freezing instructions.

Pie Crust:
This recipe uses 1 pie crust. Freeze the second crust for another use. Store-bought dough should also be pre-baked. You can substitute a graham cracker or gingersnap crust, pre-baked at 350°F for 10 minutes.

Pumpkin:
Canned pumpkin works best. If using fresh puree, blot it lightly to remove excess moisture. It may require a longer baking time.

Spices:
Use 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice instead of ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and pepper. Keep the 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon.

Cream & Milk:
Use whole milk for the right texture. You can replace the heavy cream and milk with 1 cup of half-and-half.

Honey:
Replace the honey in the praline topping with light corn syrup or maple syrup if needed.